SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Oklahoma secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright admits the situation is less than ideal. After nearly five months and 13 games of stability, his group is paddling into uncharted waters as it enters the final week of preparation for the Fiesta Bowl.

The first rumble came in the days following the victory over Missouri in the Big 12 championship game. Cornerback Reggie Smith suffered a broken toe and was ruled out of the bowl game.

The third-ranked Sooners believed they could handle his absence by shifting Lendy Holmes, who started all of last season at cornerback, from safety back to his old spot. The shakeup would also put senior Darien Williams back to the free safety position.

It had the roots of a feel-good story.

Williams started 15 games during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but lost his starting job to Holmes when he suffered a stress fracture over the summer and missed most of the preseason practices.

The rumble, however, turned into a quake last week when Holmes was declared ineligible for the Fiesta Bowl.

Facing a high-octane offense like No. 11 West Virginia’s without two veteran starters in the secondary is a dilemma.

But not one the Sooners haven’t prepared for.

“We’re always working guys at different spots during the course of the day just in case you do have some kind of emergency you have to deal with,” Wright said Friday. “You don’t want to throw a guy out there cold turkey.”

Williams, who’s played only in a reserve role this season, has a well-earned reputation as a solid safety. Even after losing the starting job to Holmes, he kept working to get on the field.

“I just tried to keep my attitude positive and focused on competing hard,” he said. “You never want to wish anything bad on a teammate, but I always have the attitude that if anything were to happen, I will step in there and not have anything drop off. Just stay the same and be consistent out on the field.”

The situation at the boundary corner position doesn’t have a track record to fall back on.

Wright admits, there isn’t even a solidified starter at the spot. Redshirt freshman Dominique Franks and sophomore Brian Jackson have received equal practice snaps at the spot and both will get their shots Tuesday.

“(The coaching staff) has faith in me and Brian and we’ll both rotate,” Franks said. “They feel like we’re both just as capable as Lendy of playing that position.”

Wright has raved about both as possible big-time players in the future. Strong safety D.J. Wolfe and cornerback Marcus Walker will play their final games in the Fiesta Bowl.

This could be an audition to see if either is ready to claim a starting spot next season.

But as far as the present goes, the two have combined for 16 tackles and no pass breakups this season. Smith and Holmes combined for 151 stops, 14 pass breakups and three interceptions apiece.

OU would love to have that experience on the field when going against a West Virginia offense that is both complicated (multiple sets with lots of option) and explosive (averaging 38.9 points a game). Quarterback Pat White is the best run-pass signal caller in the college game. And the Mountaineers feast on making defenders make split second decisions, particularly in the secondary.

“Recognition is everything,” Wolfe said. “You have to be able recognize what is coming by the formations and tendencies. You have to be able to get in that run fit. Pat White is a tremendous athlete and you have to be aware.”

The stress could cause some secondary coaches to go crazy. But Wright’s hair had turned gray long before this situation came up and he’s not hitting the panic button.

Every time a player, or in this case two, go down someone gets the chance to show what he can do.

“This is their opportunity,” Wright said. “You hate it for Lendy, but even though it’s adversity from one standpoint, it’s a great opportunity to show what they’re capable of doing. They’ve been working a long time for this opportunity to come along and they’re going to get their chance to show what they can do.”

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com